Objects to be weighed, such as detergents and confectionary, which have been weighed to have a specified weight by a combination weigher, are typically packaged by a packaging machine (see e.g., Patent document 1).
Such a conventional combination weigher which weighs the objects to be weighed includes, for example, plural weighing hoppers for weighing the weights of the objects to be weighed, is configured to perform combination calculation in such a manner that the weights of the objects to be weighed held in these weighing hoppers are combined to determine a combination of weighing hoppers holding the objects to be weighed whose weight is equal to or closest to a combination target weight, and is configured to discharge the objects to be weighed corresponding to the combination to the packaging machine.
FIG. 13 shows a schematic construction of such a conventional combination weigher which weighs the objects to be weighed. The combination weigher is configured such that a control unit 30 controls the operation of the entire combination weigher and performs combination calculation. The combination weigher is constructed in such a manner that a center base body (body) 15 is disposed at a center of the combination weigher, and a dispersion feeder 1 having a conical shape is mounted to an upper part of the center base body 15 to radially disperse the objects to be weighed supplied from an external supplying device by vibration. Around the dispersion feeder 1, linear feeders 2 are provided to transfer the objects to be weighed which have been sent from the dispersion feeder 1 into respective feeding hoppers 3 by vibration. Plural feeding hoppers 3 and plural weighing hoppers 4 are disposed below the linear feeders 2 and are arranged in a circular form in such a manner that each feeding hopper 3 and each weighing hopper 4 correspond to the associated one of the linear feeders 2. The feeding hopper 3 receives the objects to be weighed which have been sent from the linear feeder 2, and opens its gate to feed the objects to be weighed to the weighing hopper 4 located therebelow when the weighing hopper 4 is emptied. The weighing hopper 4 is attached with a weight sensor 41 such as a load cell. The weight sensor 41 measures the weight of the objects to be weighed inside the weighing hopper 4. The control unit 30 performs combination calculation to select a combination (discharge combination) made up of hoppers which should discharge the objects to be weighed, from among the plural weighing hoppers 4. The weighing hoppers 4 corresponding to the discharge combination discharge the objects to be weighed onto a collecting chute 6. The collecting chute 6 is provided with a collecting hopper 7 at a discharge outlet of a bottom part thereof. The objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the weighing hoppers 4 slide down on the collecting chute 6, are held in the collecting hopper 7 and thereafter are discharged from the collecting hopper 7.
For example, a packaging machine shown in FIG. 14 is disposed below the collecting hopper 7. The objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the collecting hopper 7 are introduced into an inlet (upper opening of a tube 51) of the packaging machine While manufacturing package bags, the packaging machine of FIG. 14 charges the objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the combination weigher into the package bags and packages them.    Patent document 1: Examined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei. 8-1395